Tensions rise in response to teachers’ pro-Palestine resource guide as Oregon school year ends

The group Oregon Educators for Palestine last month published “Know Your Rights!” a guide to teaching and organizing for Palestine in Portland Public Schools. Since then, there’s been a heated mix of responses, with some arguing the guide is a much-needed tool and others arguing it’s biased and harmful.

The document was made in collaboration with the Portland Association of Teachers, which represents thousands of educators in Oregon’s largest school district, serving about 44,000 students. PAT is the largest union in the district and is made up of classroom and special education teachers, coaches, counselors, speech-language pathologists and more.

Though Oregon Educators for Palestine is Portland-focused, they wrote in the guide that the information can be used by workers other than teachers and in schools across the state.

The document includes terms and definitions important to conversations about the ongoing violence in Gaza and how it’s affecting local communities. It lays out a range of guidance, including legal and contractual protections, state standards, and potential responses to censorship and complaints. It also has tips for organizing, such as how to best use social media, file public records requests and participate in protests.

The guide’s authors say the document was developed in response to censorship, discrimination and harassment they say many district employees have experienced “at the hands of PPS District ‘Leadership.’”

The creators claim that since at least November, district leaders from PPS’ central office have been actively censoring teachers and other workers who are teaching about Palestine, posting pro-Palestine sentiments in schools and wearing pro-Palestine messages. The guide lists several examples, such as “censoring student attempts at holding a presentation to teach about Palestine at their school which has held many similar events for other social justice movements.”

They argue this censorship is in direct contradiction to PPS’s own policies toward other social movements for the rights of marginalized people.

The guide has received a mix of appreciation and criticism since it was released. And though the union took down supporting materials that initially received arguably the most pushback for being too extreme, reporters at The Oregonian later found those materials still available online, on another page of the union’s website.

PAT President Angela Bonilla clarified that the main guide has not been taken down, but they did remove the curricular materials that were originally shared as a supplement.

“I was under the impression that those materials were reviewed by our committee in their entirety, like the other curricular materials our members share,” Bonilla told OPB. “They had not, so I had them removed. Our committee chairs and the Elected Executive Board Liaison to the committee reviewed some of the resources compiled by members and those were the ones we put on the website.”

District, union leaders comment on the issue

Sydney Kelly, communications specialist for Portland Public Schools, confirmed via email that the curriculum and guide the association posted is not approved PPS curriculum.

“Portland Public Schools is committed to fostering an environment in all our schools and classrooms where every student feels safe, supported, and valued,” Kelly shared in a statement from the district.

“It is our expectation that staff create these spaces by facilitating respectful, age-appropriate, and standards-based learning and contextualization of major world events such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war or, before that, the war in Ukraine.”

Bonilla clarified that the union doesn’t mandate or implement curriculum — they know that what they print on the PAT website does not equate to PPS curriculum.

“These are resources curated by members who volunteer their time to provide materials for ‘Heritage months’/curricular materials for educators who are looking for ways to integrate additional perspectives into their teaching,” Bonilla wrote in an email.

When asked how the guide may influence summer classes or next school year, or if there are plans for more resources in the future, Bonilla added: “This work is ongoing.”

PPS does have an administrative directive, which Kelly said they give to staff for teaching about controversial issues. The directive includes questions for teachers to ask themselves as they’re considering what materials they use and what lessons they impart, such as “Has a free exchange of ideas and conflicting views been provided for?” and “Do I, the teacher, have an adequate background to deal with this issue and/or is this issue relevant to my professional role?”

There are steps the district can take if teachers aren’t following the directive’s guidance.

“When these expectations of staff are not met — such as when a teacher engages in political advocacy while working,” the PPS statement from Kelly continued, “our process is to talk with the teacher about our expectations and direct corrections, removal, or replacement of inappropriate content.”

PPS communications officials would not respond further to the claims that district leadership has been censoring staff and students.

Community members, groups speak up

Some see the guide as a much-needed, vocal stance on a horrifying conflict that, though happening abroad, is affecting people here in Oregon as well. Others feel it’s a biased attack on members of local Jewish communities, that its materials go too far, or that the guide is crossing a political line not meant for public school classrooms. One parent shared with OPB their concerns that the materials “create an inequitable and unsafe environment for our students and teachers.” And some wonder what all the fuss is about since staff and students are unlikely to use any of it, as the guide was publicized mere weeks before the school year ended.

The Portland chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace released a statement Monday in support of the union’s efforts. Jewish Voice for Peace, or JVP, describes itself as “the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.”

No one group represents the diverse opinions of all members of Oregon’s Jewish communities, but JVP argues that “ongoing attempts by the Jewish Federation and other pro-Israel groups to slander and condemn these efforts as ‘hurtful’ and ‘antisemitic’ are shameful.”

“It is not, nor will it ever be, antisemitic to speak out and educate about Palestine and criticize the Israeli government’s siege and genocide,” JVP officials wrote in their statement Monday.

The Portland chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace said they believe the teachers union is demonstrating its commitment to listening to students and educators in providing a forum for discourse and a roster of resources to support teaching about and advocating for the liberation of Palestine and Palestinians.

“Despite the citywide walkout organized by Portland students (in March),” they said, “PPS has ignored the students’ demands for education on what is happening in Palestine. Therefore, PAT has stepped up to support educators with resources.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, on the other hand, has previously argued the union promotes a “one-sided narrative on Gaza.” They reiterated their stance in a recent newsletter, which talked about their issues with the guide, the supplemental materials for students, and the “know your rights” information sessions held at the end of May by PAT and the Oregon Educators for Palestine.

“This is an effort by the teachers’ union to promote what many feel is a biased and historically revisionist curriculum,” the newsletter states. “The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland received numerous complaints from Jewish PPS teachers, parents, and even elected officials about the meeting and the materials. Sadly, the PAT continues to engage in and lead anti-Israel activism.”